B

The Baptism of John.

Y Jordan John the Baptist stood,
And preached repentance there,
Baptizing gladly all that would,
The Lord's way to prepare.

Then Jesus, fresh from Jordan's tide,
His ministry begins ;

Behold the Lamb of God, John cried,
That takes away our sins.

God's Spirit like a dove came down,
And then a voice was heard,
This is My own beloved Son,
Ye people, hear His word.

Then to the desert Jesus went,
Fasting for forty days,

And when with hunger worn and spent,
Was tempted many ways.

Returning thence to Galilee,

The wondering Jews He taught,
Whilst Cana is the first to see
The miracles He wrought.

For there a wedding feast was held,
And those who came to dine,
With wonder Jesus Christ beheld
The water change to wine.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Jesus is Baptized by John. Is Tempted of the Devil. Jesus begins to Teach. The Marriage at Cana.

OW in the fifteenth year of the reign of
Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being gover-

nor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the prophet Esaias, saying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not; John answered them, saying, I baptize

This is He of which is pre

with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. whom I said, After me cometh a Man ferred before me: for He was before me. And I knew Him not, but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph.

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterward hungered. And when the tempter came to Him, He said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But Jesus said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down for it is written, He shall give His angels

charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and saith unto Him, All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He

gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? And He said unto them, Ye will surely say unto Me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Thy country. And He said, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias,* when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus † the prophet; and none of them were cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them went His way. Now on the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother